Why do Shudras practice untouchability? - 1

As we know the Hindu society is composed of five categories of people who are further divided into watertight compartments. These five categories in descending order of social status are Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Shudras and Antyajas. And same is the order of purity. The Brahmans are the purest and Antyajas the polluted. The Antyajas are outside Varna system also. And same is the order of authority of social control that is limited to twice born. The Hindu society is not a simple matrix of five hierarchical and heredity Varnas. All these Varnas are divided and sub-sub-divided into sub-sub-castes and sub-sub-jatis. This division takes place until an endogamous group is reached which is not further divisible and is independent. This last endogamous group is composed of many exogamous gotras which are paternal lineages. All the jatis are finely divided along the bloodlines. There are thousands of jatis in India. Each jati follows a particular heredity occupation which is passed down from father to son. Each sub-sub-jati is supposed to follow the occupation of its main jati. The Shudras being the larges group have the largest number of jatis. Further these sub-jatis are limited to a given region and people generally do not marry outside their geographical area. Two endogamous groups following same occupation represent two sub-jatis of the main jati or sub-castes of main caste. Any given main jati may or may not be prevalent all over India. All the Varnas also may or may not be prevalent all over India. The Shudras have largest number of jatis so it is difficult to give the names of their jatis but some of them are carpenter, barber, potter, gardener, vegetable seller, milkman, washer man, oil presser, ironsmith, goldsmith etc. These various endogamous groups cannot be identified on the basis of Varna only. The professions with in Shudra Varna may different from each other as chalk from cheese. The jati indicates an endogamous group within a Varna, which has its specific heredity occupation. These jatis are identifiable on the basis of their heredity occupation only. The regular tillers of land occupied a higher position compared to other Shudras. The Antyajas or untouchables are also divided further into different jatis which are further arranged on a hierarchical scale. These jatis are further sub-divided mainly on the basis of region. Each sub-caste or sub-jati has the social status of the main caste or jati only. The jati is placed on a social scale on the basis of its relative purity and the relative purity also defines its particular power in the society. It also defines the occupation and thus the economic condition of any given jati. The people belonging to a higher heredity occupation have higher social status and a relatively higher level of earning.